her limbs
with the same. She gave her a torn and not over-clean frock to put on
instead of her own clothing, and insisted that she don the ugly garment
at once.

"Now, Gentile girl," hissed the old woman, "if they come to search for
you, speak at your peril. We say you are ours--a wicked, orphan Gypsy,
wicked through and through."

She tore down Ruth's hair and rubbed some lotion into it that darkened
its color, too. She really looked as wild and uncouth as the bold girl
who waited upon the queen of the Gypsies.

"Now let them find you!" cackled the old woman. "You are Belle, my
great-granddaughter, and you are touched here--eh?" and she tapped her
own wrinkled forehead with her finger.

CHAPTER XIV

ROBERTO AGAIN

Ruth cried a little. But, after all, it was more because she was lonely
than for any other reason. What would eventually happen to her in the
Gypsy queen's toils she did not know. She had not begun to worry about
that as yet.

Helen had gotten clear away. She was confident of that, and was likewise
sure that her chum would rouse the authorities and come in search of
her. Tom, too, was faithful; he must already be stirring up the whole
neighborhood to find his sister and Ruth.

How far the caravan had traveled the night before, after the girls had
joined the Gypsies, Ruth could not guess. But she realized that now they
were making very good time up the road leading to Boise Landing, along
the edge of Long Lake.

There might be some pursuit already. If Tom had telegraphed his father,
Mr. Cameron would come looking for Helen "on the jump"! And had the
searchers any idea the Gypsies had captured the two girls, Ruth was
sure that the wanderers would get into trouble very quickly.

"Why, even Uncle Jabez would 'start something,' as Tom would say, if he
learned of this. I believe, even if I am not 'as good as a boy,' that
Uncle Jabez loves me and would not let a parcel of tramps carry me off
like this."

She wiped away the tears, therefore, and in looking into a cloudy little
mirror screwed to the wall of the vehicle, she found that the tears did
not wash off the walnut stain. She had been dyed with a "fast color,"
sure enough!

"If Heavy and The Fox, or Belle and Lluella could see me now!" thought
Ruth Fielding.

Suddenly the caravan halted. There were shouts and cries, and evidently
the other vans were being emptied of their occupants in a hurry. Some of
the men seemed to be arguing in E